


To Hear the Birds Sing

by Destiny_in_the_Stars



Series: Rumbelle AU's (and Crossovers) [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Bullying, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Neglect, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Woobie Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-07 14:21:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14672913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destiny_in_the_Stars/pseuds/Destiny_in_the_Stars
Summary: Rumford Gold is the social outcast trying to keep on living, but he's slowly losing his willingness to go on. Belle is there to save the day.





	To Hear the Birds Sing

**Author's Note:**

> Remember how I said I was done with Once? I lied. I realized that I do love Rumbelle and Swanfire, despite the direction that the show is going. 
> 
> I'll be writing more of these. Enjoy!

 

Thick gray clouds rolled across the sky as thunder and lightning clashed against the other. There was nothing at all pleasant or beautiful about that morning, not even when the old yellow school bus came to a stop in a shabby neighborhood.

A young male teenager, no older than that of fifteen, possibly sixteen, anxiously stood on the sidewalk. He wasn't anything handsome with stringy hair that swept over his forehead and eyes which seemed dull and lifeless. His school bag, tattered, almost in pieces, was swung over one shoulder.

There were whispers and sneers as he came onboard the bus, some giggling in obvious prejudice simply for the fact that the boy wasn't of higher social standing. He didn't speak, eyes downcast at the ground.

Had he not been such a coward, he might have stood up for himself.

No one, sides from those who only wished to torment him, said a word to the boy, ignoring him.

He turned his attention towards the window, staring blankly outside.

As the bus came to a sudden stop in front of the school, the thin brown-haired teenager slowly got up, not paying attention to the snicker coming from Killian Jones, one of the high school jocks.

"What's the matter, hobblefoot?" Jones sneered.

Flushing in embarrassment, he tried to hurry to reach the school entrance. Ever since he had permanently injured his leg in that fire, it had become sort of joke at the school. His father declared him a disgrace, spitting on his face upon hearing the doctor's diagnosis.

"Leave me alone," he mumbled.

"What did you just say to me?" Jones snapped.

" I have to get to a class, " the teenager sighed.

"Don't you walk away from me, you coward! Come on then, limpy!"

Before he could speak again, there was a loud shout, and he flinched a bit. His eyes widened in sudden comic disbelief, catching sight of a young female, roughly around his age, angrily stalking up to Killian Jones himself.

"You leave him alone, you big bully!" The girl rounded on Jones, barely giving him an ounce to speak.

" Woah, easy love! I'm just having some fun, " Jones smiled, almost charmingly.

The girl seemed to have none of it.

"Fun? He was clearly uncomfortable!" She hissed sharply, her bright cerulean eyes glaring directly at the jock.

Jones opened and closed his mouth like a fish, not having expected such a fiery young female to chastise him like that.

"I- Why do you care? It's just Skimpy," he tried to argue. As if that made it right.

She snarled, "Well, you know what? He's my friend!"

The girl turned her attention on the previously bullied boy and flashed him a bright endearing smile.

"Come on then, Rum!" She exclaimed.

Stunned by her enthusiasm at even speaking to him, the stringy-haired boy could only nod silently. He hummed a bit in content before following after the girl who defended him from Jones.

Neither spoke until they finally entered the high school building.

The stringy-haired boy, presumably Rum, shifted his feet awkwardly.

"You didn't need to do that for me," he told his rescuer.

"I wanted to. I'm Belle by the way."

"Rum- Rumford." He finally replied.

Rumford turned red in a fit of embarrassment. He didn't need this much from Belle, especially not when he was the school's social outcast.

"It's nice to meet you," the reddish-brown haired female commented.

"Nice, uh... to meet you... too," the boy blushed again.

And somehow, a friendship started.

It was such a deeply emotional contrast to the life Rumford Gold had at home, having to deal with his alcoholic father yelling at him.

Months had passed since he met Belle French and he slowly realized his feelings towards her, not that he would ever say them out loud.

Rumford was nervous, tugging endlessly at his shirt collar. The brown-haired male paced back and forth across the school hallways, his right hand twisting repeatedly into the fabric of his baggy clothes.

What was taking Belle so long?

Then he heard it.

"Leave me alone!" A familiar voice called out.

Belle was glaring furiously at Killian Jones, who decided to bother the beautiful and rather intelligent young female. She attempted to defend herself, but the older jock kept taunting her.

A sudden wave of anger flowed through Rumford and, without even realizing what he was doing, stormed up to Killian, eyes flashing alight with his annoyance.

"Why don't you leave her alone?" The scrawny teenager snapped, his words coated with a seemingly venomous hiss.

Clearly taken aback by Rumford's change in attitude, Jones opened and closed his mouth.

" So... finally standing up to yourself? " Jones questioned. For that brief flicker of a moment, he seemed almost... proud.

"I said leave us alone!"

Raising his hands up in mock surrender, Jones huffed.

"If that's what you want," the Irish accent heavily coated Jones' voice. He nodded briefly and walked away, likely in pursuit of yet another person to bother or searching for the blonde he was trailing after.

"Uh, you alright?" Rumford sheepishly asked Belle.

Belle smiled at him. "Of course. I knew you had it in you."

The pair said nothing for a few seconds before Rumford suddenly found himself asking.

"Do you want to, uh, go to dinner with me?"

Her eyes seemed to shine at the question.

" I would love to! Is your father okay with this? "

A flicker of fear passed through his eyes though it was gone as quickly as it came.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," he finally growled.

It was later that same week when Rumford and Belle went to dinner at a nicer restaurant. He shuffled slightly, tapping his fingers over and over again against the table.

"Everything okay, Rum?"

Briefly glancing up at her, he flashed an awkward smile. "It's alright, Belle. I'm okay," he replied.

" Are you- what's wrong? "

I like you.

The words died instantly on his lips and he turned red, flushing harder when the waiter came to deliver their order.

"Rum, you know you can tell me anything."

No answer before he started talking.

"I- Belle, I- I like you... a lot," he began. His eyes stared directly right back at Belle's cerulean irises, watching for even a minor reaction. Almost calculating, he continued.

"I don't want to ever- ever lose you. I-"

Belle was silent while Rumford spoke.

"Maybe I can..." He trailed off.

" Rum? Hey, it's okay. I've liked... you for a while now, " she went on.

Eyes widened by the revelation, Rumford looked at her and put of sudden impulse, he got up, cupping Belle's face with one hand and kissed her. For a brief moment, Belle went rigid, startled from the reaction, yet slowly calmed down, returning the kiss.

Pulling back, he stammered, getting flustered over what he had done. He had actually done it.

"Rum, you- I-" Belle swallowed thickly.

For the first time in a long while, Rumford felt at home. His life changed, and with Belle... anything was possible. 

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


End file.
